


A Stranger in Need

by suzannahbee123



Category: Jessica Jones (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-17 02:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16507601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzannahbee123/pseuds/suzannahbee123
Summary: Jessica Jones just wanted to get drunk, not go around saving Black Widow.





	A Stranger in Need

Jessica had just wanted to get drunk, was that too much to fucking ask?

It had been another shitty day, yet more assholes cheating on their wives and girlfriends. Some Wall Street types embezzling money. Another rich bitch wanting to find some leverage on a business partner so they couldn’t use the leverage they had on her.

People were the worst. And yet, Jessica was the monster for not wanting to go out of her way to save them. Who needed the drama of being a hero? Jessica had seen the way the world had turned on The Avengers, no way she wanted to be part of that world, the one the world demanded be the answer to all of their problems and vilified them when they proved they were, in fact, only human and made mistakes just like the rest of them.

Ever since Kilgrave, ever since she had killed him and exposed herself and her powers, New York had demanded something from her, like she owed them a damn thing. No one had helped her, no one had been there to take out Kilgrave when he had ruined her life, turned her into a puppet…

“We’re closin’ up, honey.”

Jessica jumped and glared at the grizzled looking old lady stood behind the bar, “One more for the road?”

“C’mon, Jones, you’ve definitely had enough-”

“You know what?” Jessica slammed down her glass, smashing it and making the barmaid glower in the process, and reached over the bar and pulled the bottle of whiskey out, taking a giant swig straight from the bottle. “I’m a hero, right? Trust me when I say that is is far from enough.”

Throwing down some bills, Jessica left the bar, shoving the bouncer out of her way and sending the 250lb man mountain to the floor.

“Yep. I’m a goddamn hero.” Jessica mumbled to herself as she went out into the street.

***

Jessica had been walking for hours, scenes from her life playing in her head on a loop, scenes that were burned in there no matter what she did. It was funny, Kilgrave made it so she had no free will, you would think this would mean everything was fuzzy, right?

Wrong.

It was as if someone had recorded everything and uploaded the memories into her damn brain, like she was a computer with more disk drive space then she needed…

The memory of Luke came into her head and for a moment, a small blindingly happy moment, Jessica felt… happy. Until she remembered that Luke was with Claire and that he was happier without her in his life. Jessica took another gulp from the now, empty, bottle., relishing the burn of the alcohol, after all, how could someone like Luke ever, ever forgive the woman who had killed his wife? Willingly or not, Jessica had done it and she would pay.

Kilgrave got off easy, he was dead. Living was hard.

Jessica gave the road a vague look before stepping out into it to cross, jumping back and cursing when the black van came barrelling down at speed, with no headlights on, as if from nowhere.

“They’re called _headlights_ , asshole!” Jessica yelled, throwing the bottle after and watching it shatter on the back, “I could’ve been a kid, you stupid dick!”

Grumbling, Jessica almost got knocked down _again_ when another two identical black vans, tinted windows, no headlights and surprisingly quiet engines, came charging through and followed the first one.

Abruptly sober, Jessica stared after them. Perhaps they were the police? It was probably the good guys, doing good things.

_But what if it’s not? Could be the bad guys doing the bad things, love. You want more of them around? More of them like me?_

Wincing at the slimy British accent that started chanting in her head, Jessica took a gulp against the nausea that threatened to rise up.

“No. No one like you is coming back. Not again.”

On that vow, Jessica ran after the trucks.

***

Natasha Romanoff was running. Again. Seems like she did this a lot.

Ever since her bad call in Berlin, the call that had her turning on her friends even as she was siding with them, her life had gone down the crapper.

Her life had started out so, so badly… all the things she did… what they made her do…

When Clint Barton had found her, taken her to SHIELD, when they had offered her a way to make up for everything that she had done, it had taken Natasha a surprisingly short amount of time to say yes and become an agent for good.

The fit had been, right, comfortable.

Maybe a little too comfortable. Now, she was on the run because the damn government was chasing her because she had let Steve and Barnes get away. Because King T’Challa and Tony hadn’t been able to see what was right in front of them.

Steve had been right, all along. The whole mess at the UN, _hadn’t_ been Barnes.

But, oh, no. Don’t listen to the intelligence agent. The spy. The person who was trained in reading people. What did she know, after all? Natasha was just a pretty face.

The trucks were gaining on her, but that was fine, soon she would be at the alley ways and there, the trucks couldn’t follow her, they would have to come after her on foot and, there, Natasha would have the advantage.

Turning the corner, Natasha felt that small smile play on her lips, soon, she would be back in her untraceable car, heading to the rendezvous point to meet with Sam and Steve. Just need to get through the next few minutes and-

_Crap!_

Natasha looked around, quickly. She must’ve gotten turned around somehow, the was a dead end and she was trapped.

“Oh, well. Haven’t had a gun fight for a while.” Natasha muttered to herself, taking out the gun in her holster and checking the chamber before pointing it at the entrance to the alleyway.

One truck came in, brakes squealing and stopped in front of her. Then the second. Both the trucks and Natasha waited for the third to show up… Natasha adjusted her stance… it was taking its sweet time…

_CRASH_

_Ooooohhhkaaaay,_ Natasha jumped back, _that’s what was taking it so long._

God only knows how, but, the third van had coming crashing in behind the other two. Literally.

The tall, black haired woman stood behind it, arms still in the air from where she had thrown it at the other two.

Natasha knew who she was, of course. Jessica Jones and the other enhanced members of New York were always being monitored, in some way, shape or form, by SHIELD or The Avengers. Why she had turned up here, though, Nat had no idea.

The men began stumbling out of the ruined vans, holding their heads and cursing so Nat jumped into action, attacking them and taking them out as they came for her, trying to stare when she saw Jessica Jones tear off one of the doors and smack one of them men with it.

Jessica didn’t appear to be a particularly well trained fighter, but, with strength like that-

“Freeze! Put your hands on your head!”

The cold barrell of a gun was pressed into the back of Nats neck and she cursed, “Oh, c’mon officer, we don’t have to play this, this way, do we?” Slowly, she turned to meet his gaze. The poor guy couldn’t have been more than twenty five and he was clearly in way over his head.

“C’mon… put down the gun.” Natasha smiled her trademark seductive smile at him, hoping that would work, he had moved away so she couldn’t reach the gun.

The kid started lowering it when, out of nowhere, Jessica Jones dropped down next to him and backhanded him so he flew several feet away, the gun falling harmlessly to the floor.

“Lady told you to drop the gun, kid.” Jessica smirked before turning to her and double taking, “You?! The Black Widow?! _That’s_ who I just saved?!”

“I prefer Agent Romanoff.” Natasha bit out.

“Oh, yeah?” Jessica spat back, “Well, I prefer paying customers, not chicks on the run from the law!”

“I didn’t ask for you to come in and throw vehicles around!”

The woman looked her up and down, “This is what I get for helping someone. This is why I don’t bother. You help the wrong people.”

Jessica started moving away, “More will come, you should get going. I might as well stay. Cops will know it was me when they see an upended truck.”

Natasha sighed. “I had this covered, you know. You didn’t have to put yourself in danger for me.”

“I thought you were in trouble. I-” Natasha watched closely as Jessica seemed to struggle for a minute to find the right words. “I wanted to feel like a hero.”

“The woman that killed someone like Kilgrave, is a hero. Trust me, this I know.” Natasha whispered that last part. Just because no one had _forcefully_ taken over her mind, didn’t mean that Natasha hadn’t been brainwashed too.

“You know about Kilgrave? You-” Jessica stood taller and anger pinched her features as she looked her up and down, “You know about me?”

“I’m a spy, Jones. Of course I know about you.”

Expecting anger, Natasha was very surprised when Jessica suddenly smiled. It made her… beautiful, not scary anymore. Not that Natasha was scared. Ever.

“I know,” Jessica chuckled, “As I’m sure you know, I’m a PI, I know plenty about you too, Natasha Romanoff. Helped, in large part, by you giving the whole world information about you and all your friends.”

The men started stirring and Natasha quickly went around and tied them up with the reinforced cuffs that they had provided, taping their mouths closed and disabling their comms equipment.

“Okay, well, now we’ve met and it was fun but…” Natasha looked at Jessica who was leaning casually against the van, “I can’t stay. I have to go, I have… people to meet.”

“Falcon and Cap? I figured.” Jessica rolled her eyes.

“How-”

“Just because I wasn’t trained from a child doesn’t mean I don’t know how to read people as well as a spy, okay?” Jessica looked almost angry for a moment. “You need a place to crash? No offence but you look like shit and I don’t like the idea of you getting put in jail just because you did the right thing.”

“I couldn’t ask you to- you don’t even know me-” Fumbling over her words had ever been a trait that Natasha possessed, but then, Natasha was very rarely surprised. Jessica Jones had just managed _that_ incredible feat.

Jessica shrugged, “No one will look for you there. I don’t have clients tomorrow and, I don’t know, I just want to make sure that you get to where you need to be in one piece.”

Natasha frowned, “How do I know I can trust you?”

“If I wanted to hurt you, if I wanted you to get caught? I could’ve taken you out. You’re great and all, but, _you_ can’t pull off car doors.”

“Besides.” Jessica said into the awkward silence that had followed that statement, “You look like you could use a drink and I know I could. I have plenty at home.”

“Whiskey?”

Again, that face changing smile, “Only the best I could afford at the time.”

Smirking, Natasha followed her. Sometimes you just had to roll with the unexpected.

***

Jessica woke up with a surprisingly clear head.

Getting out of bed, doing the bathroom things and getting dressed, she carefully made her way into her office/living room/occasional fighting arena.

And saw Nat had gone, a bottle of some incredibly expensive looking liquor on her desk with a bow and a note taped to the side:

_Hey Jess,_

_Thanks for your help. I’m sorry I didn’t stay to say goodbye but it’s better this way. I’ll be back some day, if you’ll let me, maybe I could see you again, then._

_Don’t worry about me and try to give yourself a break. You’ve earned it, no matter what anyone else says._

_Yours,_

_Nat._

Jessica sat heavily in her seat, the events from the night before playing in a loop in her head, from when they had got in, to when they had talked over the drinks… to after…

Jessica looked at the nota again and smiled softly. No had had made either of them do this. No had had coerced or blackmailed or brainwashed or paid or anything…

Natasha was right. They had earned it and they were heroes, no matter what one half of the world said.

The phone rang and Jessica jumped before picking it up, “Alias Investigations. How can I help?”


End file.
